The present invention relates to an image photographing system, an image processing system, and an image providing system composed of them connected to each other, as well as a photographing camera, an image editing apparatus, an image order sheet for each object and a method of ordering images for each object. These are preferably used in amusement parks, theme parks, prominent sightseeing spots and the like, and are suitable for photographing in a group tour, sightseeing in a group, or a ceremony or an event in a group, and for subsequent album creation including image editing and individual orders.
Hitherto, in prominent sightseeing spots and the like, so-called sightseeing pro-photographers provide a service including photographing preparing a background, a property and the like used for photographing. Further, in recent years, digital photographing and print systems having an automatic photographing function are installed in many sightseeing spots.
As conventional digital photographing and print systems, there is known, for example, a system installed in a place where an attraction is performed in so-called theme parks and the like to automatically photograph a vehicle at a time it reaches the place. Many of this type of digital photographing and print systems are installed in places where a photographing angle, at which ordinary users cannot take a photograph, can be obtained. The users confirm the photographed contents on a monitor at the exit of the attraction and order and purchase prints when they are satisfied with the photographed contents.
In contrast, when a case, in which individual persons take a photograph, is taken into consideration, it is necessary for them to release the shutter of a camera at high speed so that the camera does not move unintentionally to take a photograph of, for example, a person riding a vehicle such as a roller coaster traveling at high speed in an amusement park. However, there is a case in beginners that they do not know even the provision of a shutter-speed-priority mode and an aperture-priority mode with an AE (automatic exposure) camera.
As to this matter, the technology of xe2x80x9cPhotographing mode selection camera and transmitter thereofxe2x80x9d disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-13225 can be used as a reference. A camera according to the technology includes a receiver for receiving the photographing modes transmitted from transmitters, which are disposed in respective predetermined areas for transmitting photographing modes inherent in the respective areas, and a selector for automatically selecting the photographing modes so as to realize a camera to which a particular mode can be automatically set in accordance with a place, where photographing is carried out, and with an object to be photographed in order to permit even a beginner to take a photograph in a proper photographing mode.
In group affairs including group tours such as sightseeing tours (e.g. school excursion, company trip, inspection tour by inspection party or package tour) and group tours for spectating Olympic games, soccer, tennis, ski and motor sport (e.g. F1), ceremonies such as wedding ceremony and Buddist memorial service, festivals and various other events, a large number of group photos and snapshots of members are taken. The thus taken group photos and snapshots are used in commemoration of the tours, sightseeing tours, ceremonies and events. Some of them are collected for creating a single type of albums, which are distributed to the respective members of a group so that they can select and give orders for photos on which they can be found, for creation of individual albums.
When editing photos taken in a group tour, sightseeing in a group, or a ceremony or event in a group to create a single type of group albums, photographers or album editors check a multiplicity of output photographic prints visually and select a necessary number of photographic prints for editing, while avoiding extreme unbalance of the photographed scenes and persons.
Photos taken in a group tour, sightseeing in a group, or a ceremony or event in a group are all posted or collected on an album so that the respective members can give orders.
However, they must check all the photos posted or collected on an album to select the photos on which they can be found. In the case of a large number of photos, selection is laborious and time-consuming.
In recent years, large amusement parks, that is, so-called theme parks have been constructed in many places where it is strongly desired to introduce an automatic photographing system making use of the above-mentioned digital photographing and print system. When a plurality of digital photographing and print systems are installed in the wide area of a theme park, there arise problems to be solved as described below. That is, the customers, who utilize these digital photographing and print systems, must wait for the completion of prints in the place of the photographing each time photographing is carried out; when a plurality of scenes are photographed, the prints of these scenes are collected at random and prints in which scenes relating to each other are collected together (in other words, prints edited in accordance with the preference of a user) cannot be provided; and it is necessary to improve the efficiency of the maintenance of the digital photographing and print system.
That is, when apparatuses have an independent photographing and print function, respectively as in conventional apparatuses, there is a problem that a user must wait for the completion of prints in the respective places where the apparatuses are installed and this is troublesome to the user. Further, the user must purchase prints in the respective places where the apparatuses are installed, from which a problem is arisen in that a user cannot compare and select prints, with a result that the prints are made expensive, and further a problem is arisen in that while a plurality of scenes are photographed, more pleasant prints cannot be made by editing them.
Furthermore, there also is a problem that it is not advantageous to install many sets of the apparatuses because the structure of the apparatus is complicated and the maintenance thereof is troublesome.
Editing operation of the photos taken in a group tour, sightseeing in a group, or a ceremony or event in a group as mentioned above for creating group albums is laborious and troublesome. Furthermore, the frequency of appearance of the members on the selected photos cannot be made uneven, which often incurs disrepute of the members.
In addition, when individuals want to give orders from the photos taken in a group tour, sightseeing in a group, or a ceremony or event in a group, they must check all the photos posted or collected on an album to select photos on which they can be found. In the case of a large number of photos, selection is laborious and time-consuming.
In order to attain the first object described above, the present invention provides an image photographing system comprising a second communication device for transmitting photographing information of an object to be photographed when at least the object is photographed, a photographing device for photographing the object, a first communication device operated in association with the photographing device for receiving the photographing information transmitted from the second communication device; and a storing unit for storing the photographing information received from the second communication device by the first communication device and image data of images of the object photographed by the photographing device in which the photographing information and the image data of each of the images of the object are related to each other.
Preferably, the first communication device is a transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting query information to the second communication device simultaneously when, before or after the object is photographed by the photographing device as well as for receiving the photographing information transmitted by the second communication device, and the second communication device is a transmitting/receiving unit for receiving the query information transmitted by the first communication device and for transmitting the photographing information in response to the query information.
Preferably, the first communication device is a receiving unit, the second communication device is a transmitting unit, and the photographing device photographs the object when the first communication device receives the photographing information transmitted from the second communication device.
Preferably, the second communication device is a transmitting unit for transmitting the photographing information at all times; and the first communication device is a receiving unit for receiving the photographing information transmitted by the second communication device simultaneously when, before or after the object photographed by the photographing device.
It is preferable that the image photographing system further comprises an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit operated in association with the photographing device and for irradiating electromagnetic energy simultaneously when, before or after the object is photographed by the photographing device, wherein the second communication device is a transmitting unit which is started in response to the electromagnetic energy irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit simultaneously when, before or after the object is photographed by the photographing device and which transmits the photographing information; and the first communication device is a receiving unit for receiving the photographing information transmitted by the second communication device.
Preferably, the first communication device comprises the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit.
Preferably, the photographing device, the first communication device and the storing unit are constructed integrally as a photographing camera.
Preferably, a plurality of second communication devices are provided.
When the first communication device receives a plurality of the photographing information from the plurality of second communication devices, respectively, the storing unit preferably stores image data of an image taken by the photographing device and the plurality of photographing information received from the plurality of second communication devices by relating them to each other.
Preferably, the second communication device is carried by the object.
Preferably, the photographing information includes identification information for identifying the object registered in the second communication device.
The present invention provides an image processing system comprising an image search unit for searching image data of at least one image corresponding to at least one of photographing information from the photographic information and image data of images stored in the storing unit of the image photographing system described above by relating the image data and the photographing information, and an image processing unit for processing the image data of the at least one image searched by the image search unit.
It is preferable that the image processing system further comprises a first reading unit for reading the photographing information recorded in the second communication device of the image photographing system, wherein the image search unit searches the image data of the at least one image corresponding to at least one of the photographing information read by the first reading unit from the image data of the images stored in the storing unit and the photographing information which are related to each other.
Preferably, at least one of the photographing information is identification information for identifying the object.
It is also preferable that the image processing system further comprises an image display unit for displaying the at least one image searched by the image search unit, an image designation unit for designating a necessary image from the at least one image displayed on the image display unit, and an image output unit for outputting the designated image.
Preferably, the image output unit is at least one of a print output unit for outputting the designated image as a photo print, a medium output unit for outputting an image data recording medium in which the image data of the designated image is recorded, and an image delivery unit for delivering the image data of the designated image through a communication unit.
The present invention provides an image providing system comprising at least one image photographing system described above, and at least one image processing system described above, wherein at least one image photographing system and at least one image processing system are connected to each other.
In order to attain the second object, the present invention provides a photographing camera comprising a photographing device for photographing at least one object, a first communication device for receiving photographing information transmitted from at least one second communication device carried by the at least one object to be photographed, the photographing information including identification information for identifying the at least one object, and a storing unit for storing the photographing information of the at least one object received by the first communication device and the image data of the image of the at least one object photographed by the photographing device which are related to each other.
The present invention provides an image edit apparatus comprising a storing unit for storing image data of images of a plurality of scenes photographed in relation to a plurality of objects and photographing information including identification information of the plurality of objects photographed in the respective images by relating the photographing information to the image data of the respective images, a reading unit for reading, from the storing unit, the image data of some images, which are selected from the images of the plurality of scenes in order to edit the some images as an album, and the photographing information stored in relation to the image data of the some images, a display unit for displaying reproduced images of the image data read by the reading unit, and a counting unit for counting, as to each of the plurality of objects photographed in the some selected images, photographing frequency of each object based on the identification information of each object read by the reading unit, wherein the photographing frequency of the each object counted by the counting unit is displayed on the display unit as to the plurality of objects.
It is preferable that the image edit apparatus further comprises an image search unit for searching the image data of the images stored in relation to the photographing information in the storing unit using the photographing information, wherein the image search unit searches the images in which the each object is photographed using the photographing information, which is displayed on the display unit, of the each object whose photographing frequency is out of a preset frequency range, and searched images are read by the reading unit and displayed on the display unit.
It is also preferable that the image edit apparatus further comprises an image combining unit for combining the image data of the some selected images so as to edit the same selected images as the album when the photographing frequency of the each object displayed on the display unit is within the preset frequency, wherein the some images, which are edited as the album based on the image data combined by the image combining unit, are displayed on the display unit.
Preferably, the image combining unit combines information relating to the photographing information of the plurality of objects photographed in at least one image of the some images edited as the album as character data or line image data.
It is also preferable that the image edit apparatus further comprises an image output unit for outputting the images combined as the image data by the image combining unit and edited as the album.
Preferably, the storing unit is a storing unit for storing the images photographed by the photographing device in the image photographing system described above or the photographing camera described above.
The present invention provides an image edit apparatus comprising a storing unit for storing image data of images of a plurality of scenes photographed in relation to a plurality of objects including a particular object and photographing information including identification information of the plurality of objects photographed in the respective images by relating the photographing information to the image data of the respective images, an image search unit for searching and selecting a plurality of images relating to the particular object from the images of the plurality of scenes stored in the storing unit using the photographing information relating to the particular object, a reading unit for reading the image data of the plurality of images searched and selected by the search unit; an image processing unit for creating the image data of the respective reduced images of the plurality of images from the image data of the plurality of images read by the reading unit, a combining unit for combining a name of the particular object, the respective reduced images of the plurality of images, order numbers of the respective images corresponding to the respective reduced images, and order number fields provided in correspondence to respective order numbers as an image order sheet for the particular object; and an image output unit for outputting the image order sheet for the particular object combined by the combination unit.
Preferably, a title is further combined in the image order sheet for the particular object.
It is preferable that the image edit apparatus further comprises a display unit for displaying at least one of a result of search carried out by the image search unit, the images or the photographing information read by the reading unit, the respective reduced images of the plurality of images created by the image processing unit, and the image order sheet for the particular object combined by the combining unit.
Preferably, the storing unit is a storing unit for storing the images photographed by the photographing device in the image photographing system described above or the photographing camera described above.
Preferably, the plurality of images relating to the particular object are images, in which the particular object is photographed, or images, in which at least one of a plurality of objects belonging to a particular group to which the particular object belongs, is photographed.
The present invention provides an image order sheet for each object comprising a name of a particular object, reduced images of a plurality of images relating to the particular object selected from the images of a plurality of scenes photographed as to a plurality of objects including the particular object, order numbers of respective images corresponding to the reduced images of the plurality of images; and order number fields provided in correspondence to the respective order numbers.
Preferably, the image order sheet further comprises a title including a name of a particular event in which the particular object is participated and the images of the plurality of scenes are ones as to the plurality of objects photographed in the particular event.
The present invention provides a method of ordering at least one image for each object comprising the steps of delivering, through a communication unit, an image order sheet for each object as data capable of being displayed on an image display unit, the order sheet including a name of a particular object, reduced images of a plurality of images relating to the particular object selected from images of a plurality of scenes photographed as to a plurality of objects including the particular object, order numbers of respective images corresponding to the reduced images of the plurality of images, and order number fields provided in correspondence to the respective order numbers, displaying the order sheet for each object on an image display unit carried by the particular object; and receiving number of orders for the respective images input to the order number field by the particular object.
Preferably, the image order sheet further comprises a title including a name of a particular event in which the particular object is participated and the images of the plurality of scenes are ones as to the plurality of objects photographed in the particular event.